The Passover

When I was a clumsy and uncoordinated middle schooler, I somehow managed to make the seventh grade cheerleading squad. I ended up loving it so much that it became the highlight of my awkward middle school years, and every year after, until I graduated from high school.

One of the biggest perks that came with being a member of the cheerleading squad was the cute t-shirt the school gave us to wear on game days. It was red, with “Eagles” embroidered across the front. Like a 12-year-old’s version of a letterman’s jacket, our red t-shirts were a way to show what we were a part of, where we belonged. We often use material objects to distinguish ourselves, like wearing wedding bands to mark a marriage covenant, or black clothing in times of grieving.

In Exodus 12, God told the Israelites to use a special tactic to protect themselves from the plague that He would be sending through the land of Egypt. The Israelites were to mark their doors using the blood of the lamb they’d slaughtered. When the Lord saw the blood above the door, He would pass over them, keeping them safe from the plague (Exodus 12:13). The Israelites called this event the Passover, and Moses instructed the elders of Israel to keep this tradition and celebrate it every year:

When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised, you are to observe this ceremony. When your children ask you, “What does this ceremony mean to you?” you are to reply, “It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when he struck the Egyptians and spared our homes.”—Exodus 12:25-27

The blood of the lamb was a distinguishing mark for the Israelites as God’s people.

The blood of the lamb saved them from the destruction coming to the Egyptians as a result of the plague.

After the lamb was sacrificed and the door marked with blood, the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt and out of slavery, by the strength of His hand (Exodus 13:16).

In a similar fashion, the blood of Christ is a distinguishing mark for us, as Christians. Because of Jesus, we are able to live freely by the grace He bought for us through His spotless life, death, and resurrection. His blood distinguishes us and sets us apart as a royal priesthood of believers called to spread the good news of the gospel to others (1 Peter 2:9). All of this is possible because “Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

The blood of the Lamb is a distinguishing mark for us, reminding us of His sacrifice and setting us apart as believers.

The blood of the Lamb washes us whiter than snow (John 1:29).

The blood of the Lamb reminds us of our salvation and pushes us to live a life of freedom (Galatians 5:1).

My middle school cheerleading shirt was a fun distinguishing mark, but I’m thankful to have the mark of Christ’s blood to mark my salvation and proclaim my righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). The Israelites were kept safe from the plague by the mark on their doors, and Christ’s blood is a mark on our hearts, of the redemption found in Him. Thanks be to God.

Just as the Lord see the sacrificed blood on the doorposts of the Israelites, He sees on us the sacrificed blood of His Son! Hallelujah! We are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world!

I know I’m late to commenting, so I don’t know how many will see this, but something struck me as I was reading this passage.

Even thought the Bible doesn’t give an exact time line between the plagues, I had always thought it was kind of rapid fire, one almost right after the other. But then we get to the last plague, and there are at least 14 days between the last plague of the death of the first born sons, as they had to keep the Passover lamb for 14 days before they sacrificed it. I wonder if this was just enough time to lure Pharaoh into a false sense of security? To think that maybe the Israelites had given up.

And also, the Israelites had to wait 2 more weeks for their redemption. But God had a plan even in that, because it marked 430 years of captivity to the day.

I love this account. So good to have things to remember what God has done and to pass it on to the next generation and tell them what God has done. His strength brought the Israelites out. When I account to others about my past, that should be my emphasis as well. I made it though…I was brought through…BY HIS STRENGTH.

The Israelites were not spared from the other plagues. They were touched by the pestilence, the crops dying, etc. But from this plague, this curse, God spared people. He spared them from the sacrifice of death because HE himself would be making that sacrifice.
There are so many ways in which we are touched by the curse of sin. Whether it’s self-inflicted or a ripple effect from others, we can’t escape the impact of sin while we are on this earth. But we have His promise. We will again be spared from having to pay the penalty of death because He has died for us. His grace is unending.

I didn’t get to read this before accidentally posting. I should have said observing instead of celebrating. Passover seems like such a sacred time to worship God and be thankful and teach your children of God’s faithfulness. I’ve said this before, but I am thankful to be living on this side of the cross. I’m thankful to celebrate freely the sacrificial lamb of God and know so well the blood that covers me.

My salvation grew stronger after I experienced what the Egyptian experienced in 2003 my oldest son drowned trying to swim across a creek that was way out of its banks and going 86 miles per hour. God showed His presence multiple times throughout the time of the police and others looking for him. God was there to help me through the darkness and show me His light. He wrapped his loving arms around me. God is good

I am so grateful for my salvation. Reading Exodus and seeing how Moses story so mirrors what Christ did for us is beautiful.

Reading Pharaohs story hurts. It almost angers me to to see that his heart was so hard it took death for him to relent and obey. Not even death…he went after the Israelites after he let them go, and it literally took God crushing him to stop. All that death and destruction could have been avoided if Pharaoh just yielded.
I think about myself and my often hard heart. Sometimes I obey so willing; but sometimes out of fear I hold back, drag my feet and it literally takes the Lord stopping my world to get me to hear Him and do what He asks. I pray that when God asks big things of me that I can move forward and do it afraid.

I read it that God hardened his heart, so He could be greater glorified I think it said something like “so my wonders may be multiplied.” The first few plagues men could replicate but as they grew it was obvious that what was happening was greater than man. I hadn’t really read it that way before this study though.

Billy Graham has passed over. What impact those two words, “passed over,” have in light of the readings today. Rev. Graham’s belief and acceptance of the shed blood of the lamb, Jesus Christ, for his sins was his passport to heaven. Billy Graham’s message in that truth never wavered. He lived out his faith on this earth and he lives it even more fully now. So grateful for his legacy and even more grateful that we who believe will all one day “pass over.” May we live our lives that we might leave a similar legacy.

As we have been reading Exodus I have been struck by the heaviness of all the happened to Israelites by God’s hand, because of their disobedience. And then, to think of the AMAZING grace that we enjoy as a result of the cross, I am so humbled!

You are the same God that passed over the door frames that night – you are set apart and holy. You chose to save your people, the Israelites, by your grace and mercy. You chose to save me by your grace and mercy – yet your overwhelming power continues as it did that night. Sometimes i focus so much on God as relatable – then I read this and I am struck by the power, judgment and strength of God. I bow before you Lord.

I’m learning this too. We have tried so hard to make God relatable that we’ve stripped Him of His transcendence-His holiness. He is set apart. Bigger and greater and more powerful than we could ever imagine. That’s the God who I want to worship…His thoughts are higher and even though my prayers may go unanswered, they will not be Unredeemed.

I had a pet lamb. I received him as a gift when he was three days old and refused by his mother. This little guy followed me everywhere and we were inseparable, even in the house, which my parents were gracious enough to allow for a time. The first few nights we had fashioned a box for him to sleep in and he would cry and jump each night because he couldn’t see me, so I would pull the box near my bed and let my hand rest into it so he would know I was there. He’d calm and and we’d all finally welcome sleep. This sweet boy was so precious to me and I couldn’t imagine my childhood without him. Over the course of the years, Pepper grew so big and into a ram that wouldn’t let anyone except myself near him, without the promise of injury, and in preparation for a move my parents found a farmer willing to take him in and I was devastated. I’ll never forget the day I had to say good-bye before I left for school. My heart ached. I knew him inside and out and I couldn’t imagine saying good-bye but I had to. My sweet, black lamb stood full grown, anticipating time with me, tied to a fence watching me leave that morning, knowing something wasn’t right, watching me turn my back and walk away from him and I’ll never forget that feeling, my heart hurt so incredibly and yet he was just a lamb, God allowed His SON to act as the bloodied intercessor on my behalf, turning His back on Him as He suffered … I can’t fathom that feeling, can’t begin to understand that kind of ache. I don’t know what became of my boy, I hope he lived a long beautiful life in fields of green BUT I am so thankful that I know what became of Christ. I know that the very babe, God’s sweet lamb, that was born into a cave walked out of one our Victor and words will never satisfy my thanks!

I am recently saved, and this is my 2nd lent season with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. however, this is the first time I have really comprehended the history of the people of Israel and the meaning behind the Lamb of God. I am moved, simply moved by the Lord and his ability to share and show me the sacrifices made for me, so that I would be saved. Sin washed away, undeniable love, made new and clean by the blood of the Lamb of God! Amen, praise you Jesus!

A new thought came to me as I was reading Exodus 12 this time. They were to pick the perfect lamb on the first day and it would be with the family for two weeks. Then they were to kill it. Get to know it’s quirks, personality, dislikes, and a whole lot of likes. I don’t know why the 14 days but it makes me think from God’s perspective. Get to know my son. Know His personality, His dislikes, and so many things that He loves. Then kill Him so you can live. My heart. Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice. You are more perfect than the sweetest young lamb without blemish. You brought more joy and everything good but even the sacrifice of a lamb was costly. Yours? Amazing.

That’s a really interesting point. It’s like they weren’t meant to blindly sacrifice. “Just go kill a lamb” but have it live with you so you know it’s value. That this is the creature that will carry your sin. And its the same with Jesus. He didn’t just “die for us” when you get to know Jesus through scripture it puts a new meaning to the sacrifice he made on the cross

I’ve read that the time each Israelite family had the lamb in their house allowed them to see firsthand its perfection. During those days, the entire family saw that this lamb truly was without blemish, completely pure and spotless. Likewise, as you’ve already been doing in your post, it’s so important that we spend time contemplating Jesus and His perfection so that we understand what a precious gift God has given us in sacrificing His own Son for us!

Remind me, Lord, daily that I have been rescued and led out of Egypt by the sacrifice You made for me as the Lamb of God, once and for all…lest I desire to return. Thank You for the gift of redemption and rescue.

It never ceases to amaze me how God’s plan is laid out in scripture. It just proves that no matter what, God had a plan and was in control at all times. How comforting this is when we look at our own life and feel like it is out of control. It may be out of our control…but is never out of God’s control.

The Blood of the Lamb is a phrase I frequently hear in Christian circles from pastors, in hymns, etc. It is a phrase that had, in my mind, been separated from that which it represented. Jesus is our Passover Lamb, the Lamb that was slaughtered to save. Reading the story of the Passover reminds me of how much we need someone to die in our place. Praise God for sending His Lamb to cover us until He returns.